Automatic flip flop target



1960 H. L. BARBER ETAL 2,957,694

AUTOMATIC FLIP FLOP TARGET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1958 HERBERT L. BARBER 650/265 F P1155541.

INVENTORS INVENTORS H. L. BARBER arm. 2,957,694

AUTOMATIC FLIP FLOP TARGET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HERBERT BARBER GEORGE E RUSSELL BY I ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1960 Filed Aug. 21, 1958 I all n,II1,""1111",",uununlnunn. "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIItI/lllh FIG. 4.

W w I United States Patent AUTOMATIC FLIP FLOP TARGET Herbert L. Barber, 22512 Clarendon St, Woodland Hills,

Calif., and George F. Russell, 13144 Huston St., Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Filed Aug. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 756,434

6 Claims. (Cl. 273102.1)

This invention pertains to new and improved automatic targets, and more specifically to targets which are adapted to be used as toys.

It is well established commercially that there is a large market for various types of toy target devices. Many of these prior devices are of such a nature that they must be automatically reset after they have been engaged by a projectile beforethey can be satisfactorily employed again. This is obviously inconvenient. Also, this necessity for resetting decreases the amusement value'of a toy target inasmuch as the average child does not like to interrupt his play activity to take the time to completely reset a target.

A number of different efforts have been made to pro vide commercially acceptable targets which are automatic in the sense that they are ready to be used again after they have been engaged. Such automatic targets of the prior art are not considered to have proven to be completely acceptable in the low cost toy market for a variety of reasons. In genera-l terms it can be stated that these prior automatic targets are usually comparatively complex and, hence, somewhat expensive.

A broad object of the present invention is to provide new and improved automatic targets. A further object of this invention is to provide automatic targets which are of an extremely simple construction. A related general object of this invention is to provide automatic targets which are comparatively inexpensive to produce. A still further object of the invention is to provide automatic targets which are extremely reliable in operation.

Because of the very simple nature of this invention it is not considered necessary to set forth in this specification a further long list of various objects and advantages of it. Such other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this specification including the appended claims and accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are front elevational views of an automatic target of this invention in different operative positions;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of this target in an operative position as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 44 of Fig. 3 of the drawing;

Fig. 5 isa cross-sectional view taken at line 5-5 of Fig. 3 of the drawing; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view, partially in section, indicating the configuration of certain parts of this target during its use.

In all figures of the drawing like numerals are used to designatelike parts. It is to be understood that the accompanying drawing is primarily intended so as to clearly designate a presently preferred embodiment or form of the invention. It will be realized, however, that automatic targets operating as herein described may be manufactured as to have virtually any desired external configuration.

As an aid to understanding the invention it can be stated in essentially summary form that it concerns antomatic targets, each of which includes a target surface upon which there is rotatably mounted a flapper. Both sides of this flapper are designed so as to be engaged by a projectile so as to cause the flapper to move either from a first position to a second position, or back from the second position to a first position. In each of these positions the flapper is normally visible so as to be usable as a target itself. Further, with toy targets as herein described means as indicated in the remainder of the specification are preferably employed so as to control the rotation of a flapper.

The actual nature of this invention is best more fully explained by referring directly to the accompanying drawing in which there is shown an automatic target 10 of the present invention. This target includes a target surface 12 which may be formed of various grades of heavy fibreboard, metal or various known equivalents. Preferably the front side 14 of this target surface 12 is provided with various indicia as indicated in the drawing designed to attract the attention of a child. The target surface 12 is adapted to be held in a vertical position through the use of an appropriate conventional support .(not shown) engaging slots 16 formed in the surface.

On the target 10 two different flappers 18 and 20 are rotatably mounted on pins 22. The pins 22 are held upon extensions 26 forming a part of a thin iron or steel plate 28 secured to the rear side 30 of the target surface 12, by means of conventional fasteners 32. As can be seen from the drawing the extensions 26 are provided with holes through which the pins 22 project. The extensions 26 abut against shoulders 33 on these pins 22 so as to securely hold them in place. It can be considered that the extensions 26 are each of a generally U-shaped configuration. However, these extensions 26 each are formed so that adjacent to their centers they are provided with curved portions or sections 34 which face one another.

The shape of the extensions 26 is considered to be important in providing a satisfactory automatic target such as the target 10. With the construction shown the flappers 18 and 20 are adapted to be rotated from a first position as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing to a second position as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. During such rotation the flappers 18 and 20 are of such dimension as to ride up against the curved sections 34 of the extensions 26 so as to obtain What is considered to be essentially over center type of pivot joint. By this it is meant that the extensions 26 will resiliently engage the edges of the flappers 18 and 20 so as to prevent these flappers from rotating between the first and second positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, respectively, except when these flappers are hit a direct blow by a projectile with a necessary force. Further, the extensions 26 resiliently grasp the edges of the flappers 18 and 20 after such a blow and tend to force these flappers to go completely from one position to another position. Thus, they serve to aid in preventing the flappers 18 and 20 from stopping in other than either of the two positions indicated.

Each of the flappers 18 and '20 carries a small bar magnet 36 which extends from each of the sides of it. The magnets 36 are designed in such a manner as to resiliently hold the flappers 18 and 20 against either of two ends 38 formed on the edges of each of the plates 28. Preferably the flappers 18 and 20 are formed of a nonmagnetic material such as brass, fiberboard or the like so that effective utilization of the flux from the magnets 36 can be achieved. As indicated these ends 38 all extend with respect to the rear side 30 of the target surface 12 at a comparatively small acute angle.

The ends 38 are designed to provide a suflicient amount of resilience so that when the flappers 18 or 20 are flipped from a first position to a second position corresponding to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, these 'flappers are securely held in place. In a target not-employing-theseresilient ends or their equivalents, as either of the flappers '18 or 20 would move from one of the positionsshown to the 'otherposition the impact of the flapper against the rearside 30'of the target surface '12 would normally causethis flapper to bounce back out of the desired-resting position. With this construction the magnets 36 engage the ends 38 when the flappers shown arerotated and the impact of these flappers would normally tend-to cause such bouncing back is absorbed by the inherent resiliency of these ends. Thus, the'encls38 serve as spring means to absorb impact as well as pole pieces for the-magnets 36.

It is possible to form targets of this invention such as the target it in which a single flapper projects from either of two different sides of a target or to form targets of this invention in which flapper projects first of all from one side of a target of this invention and then as visible through an opening in this target. This latter type of construction is shown by the flapper 18. It is also possible to provide targets in which a flapper, such as the flapper 29, is visible in either of its positions through either of the two different openings 42 in the target surface 32. Obviously both sides of a flapper employed with the invention should be provided with various indicia of the general category shown in the drawing which is designed to attract the attention of an individual when used in combination'with the indicia on the front side 14 of a target surface 12.

Because of the fact that targets employing the essential features of this invention can be constructed in a-number of manners this invention is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An automatic flip 'flop target which includes: a target surface adapted to be held in a vertical position, said target surface having front and rear sides; a thin iron plate mounted on the rear side of said target surface, said plate including ends extending at an acute angle away from the rear side of said target surface; a flapper rotatably mounted on the rear side of said target surface so as to be capable of being rotated from a first position against one of the ends of said plate to a second position against the other of said ends of said plate, said flapper being visible from the front of said target surface in either of said positions; and amagnet mounted on'said flapper so as to extend from each of the sides thereof, said magnet being adapted to engage either of said ends of said iron plate so as to hold said flapper in either of said positions.

2. Anautomatic flip floptarget which includes: a

target surface adapted to be held in a vertical position, said target surface having front and rear sides; a thin iron target plate mounted on the rear side of said target surface, said target plate including extensions spaced from one another, each of said extensions having a curved section on the side thereof adjacent to the other of said extensions, said plate including ends extending at an acute angle away from the rear side of said target surface on each side of the line drawn between said extensions; a flapper rotatably mounted between: said extensions so as to be capable of being rotated from a first position against one of the ends of said plate to a second position against the other ofsaid ends of said plates,.said flapper being visible from the front side of said target in either of said positions, said flapper being adapted to be rotated from one of said positions to the other of said positions when engaged by a projectile, said flapper being of such dimension as to be resiliently engaged by said extensions when being rotated between said positions so that said flapper cannot stop'in other than either of said positions; and a hold said flapper in either said first position or said secmagnet mounted on said flapper so as to extend from each of the sides thereof, said magnet being adapted to engage either of said ends of said iron plate so as to hold said flapper in either of said positions.

3. An automatic flip flop target which includes: a target surface adapted to be held in a vertical position, said target surface having front and rear sides; a thin, resilient iron plate mounted on the rear side of said target surface, said iron plate including extensions spaced from one another, each of said extensions having a curved section on the side thereof adjacent to the other of said extensions, said extensions having aligned holes formed therein, said plate including ends extending at an acute angle away from the rear side of said target surface on each side of a line drawn between said extensions; a pin held by said holes in said extensions; a flapper mounted on said pin so as to be capable of being rotated from a first position against one of the ends of said plate to a second position against the other of said ends of said plate, said flapper being visible from the front side of said target surface in either of said positions, said flapper being adapted to be rotated from one of said positions to the other of said positions when engaged bya projectile, said flapper being of such dimension as to be resiliently engaged by said extensions when being rotated between said positions so that said flapper cannot stop in other than either of said positions; and a magnet mounted on said flapper so as to extend from each of the sides thereof, said magnet being adapted to engage either of said ends of said iron plate so as to hold said flapper in either said first or said second position.

4. An automatic target including: a target surface adaptedto be held in a vertical position, said target surface having front and rear sides and having at least one opening formed therein; a thin, resilient iron plate mounted on the rear side of said target surface, said plate including extensions spaced from one another, each of said extensions having a generally U-shaped cross sectional configuration and each having a curved center section on the side thereof adjacent to the other of said extensions, said extensions having aligned holes formed therein, said plate including ends extending at an acute angle away from the rear side of said target surface on each side of a line drawn between said extensions, one of said sides being adjacent to said opening; a pin held by said holes in said extensions; a flapper mounted on said pin so as to be capable of being rotated from a first position against one of the ends ofv said plate so as to be visible through said opening to a second position against the other of said'ends of said plate, said flapper being visible from the front side of said target surface in either of said positions, said flapper being adapted to be rotated from one of said positions to the other of said positions when engaged by a projectile, said flapper being-of such dimensions as to be'resiliently engaged by saidextensions when being rotated between said positions so that said flapper cannot stop in other than either of said positions;

and a magnet mounted. on said flapper so as to extend from each of the sides thereof, said magnet being adapted to engage either of said ends of said ironplate so as to end position.

5. An automatic flip flop target which includes: a target-surface adapted to be held ina vertical position, said target surface having front and rear sides; a resilient iron plate mounted on the rear side of said target surface, said plate including ends extending at an acute angle away from the rear side of said target surface; a flapper rotatably mounted on the rear side of said target surface so as to be capable of being rotated; from a first position against one of the ends of said plate to a second position against the other of said ends of said plate, said flapper being visible from the front of said target surface in either of said positions; and a magnet mounted; on said PP so as to extend from each of the sides thereof,

said magnet being adapted to engage either of said ends of said iron plate so as to hold said flapper in either of said positions.

6. A flip flop target which includes: a target surface; a thin resilient plate mounted on one side of said target surface, said plate including extensions spaced from one another, each of said extensions having a curved section on the side thereof adjacent to the other of said extensions; and a movable member rotatably mounted on said extensions so as to be located between said extensions, said rotatable member being carried by said extensions between said curved sections and said target surface, and

6 being capable of being engaged by said sections during rotation of said movable member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,036,879 Miner Aug. 27, 1912 1,536,436 Kolinski May 5, 1925 1,579,004 Kolinskri Mar. 30, 1926 1,845,609 Knipper Feb. 16, 1932 2,547,478 Lieberman Apr. 3, 1951 2,702,191 Lemelson Feb. 15, 1955 2,722,420 Adamson Nov. 1, 1955 

